Colts, Packers attempt to bounce back from season-opening losses

Updated Sep. 12, 2024 4:11 p.m. ET

Associated Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Anthony Richardson says the Indianapolis Colts may have been a little too eager on offense as they kept throwing deep in a season-opening loss to the Houston Texans.

“Last week, we were thinking about shots, shots, shots,” the Colts quarterback said. “We got a little bit trigger happy with that.”

The Colts (0-1) will try to be a little more patient Sunday when they visit Green Bay in a game that could depend on how well each team runs the ball.

Green Bay (0-1) likely will be playing without quarterback Jordan Love, who hasn't been practicing this week after injuring his left medial collateral ligament on the third-to-last play of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

If Love is unable to play, Malik Willis will be starting for the Packers less than three weeks after Green Bay acquired him in a trade with the Tennessee Titans. The 2022 third-round draft pick’s only three career starts so far came in his rookie season, and he didn’t throw for as many as 100 yards in any of them.

“I’m just trying to put in as much time as I need to feel comfortable and just make sure that whenever my number is called, I’m ready,” Willis said.

Both teams are trying to avoid digging themselves an early hole after losing their openers.

Green Bay gained 414 yards — the third-highest total by any NFL team in the opening week — but hurt itself against Philadelphia by committing 10 penalties and squandering red zone opportunities. The Colts lost 29-27 to the Texans and allowed 213 yards rushing.

Indianapolis’ run defense will have to perform much better Sunday to have a realistic chance of beating the Packers, who ran for 163 yards on just 21 carries against the Eagles. Josh Jacobs, the 2022 NFL rushing leader with Las Vegas, ran for 84 yards in his Packers debut.

“You’ve got to put your body on him,” Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “He’s a good player. I think he’s definitely one of the premier backs in this league.”

Corner market

Colts cornerback JuJu Brents went on injured reserve Tuesday after he hurt his knee against the Texans.

Indy remains hopeful Brents returns this season. Brents’ replacement Sunday will probably be Dallis Flowers, who missed all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon. The Colts could move Pro Bowl slot cornerback Kenny Moore II outside, pairing him with Jaylon Jones.

Reed’s encore

Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed is coming off a brilliant performance in which he scored on a 70-yard catch and a 33-yard run.

Reed was just the fifth player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to score on a catch of at least 70 yards and a run of at least 30 yards in the same game. Reed also had a 38-yard touchdown catch nullified due to offsetting penalties.

Balancing act

In the Texans game, Richardson became the first Colts quarterback to complete three passes of at least 50 yards in one game. He threw TD passes of 60 yards to Alec Pierce and 54 yards to Ashton Dulin, and added a 57-yarder to Pierce that set up another score.

But on Richardson’s other 16 attempts, he had only six completions totaling 41 yards with one interception. The bigger problem: Indy had the ball for exactly 20 minutes and ran only 43 plays, not nearly enough to help the team's defense stay fresh — and it showed late in the game.

Taylor’s return to Wisconsin

This game marks Colts running back Jonathan Taylor’s return to the state of Wisconsin. The 2021 NFL rushing leader attended college at Wisconsin and was a two-time winner of the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s top college running back.

Taylor had 14 carries for 48 yards and one touchdown last weekend, extending his league-high streak of consecutive games with a TD to seven.

Slowing the run

The Packers must try to slow down a mobile quarterback and a dynamic running back from Indianapolis. The challenge is comparable to the task they faced against the Eagles, who had Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley in the backfield.

“You look at Jonathan Taylor, and certainly their ability to run the quarterback is very similar in a lot of ways in terms of to what Philly was able to do,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “They’re an explosive offense.”

Green Bay hopes to do a better job this time. Barkley scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and ran for 109 yards against the Packers. The Eagles totaled 144 yards rushing.

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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot contributed to this report.

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